The Cars were the pinnacle of new wave bands in the late '70s and early '80s. Their guitar-oriented rock with synth-oriented pop was on the
cutting edge of mainstream music. The Cars roots lie in several previous projects of its members. Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes, and Benjamin Orr
formed Milkwood in the early '70s. When their debut record, 1972's "How's the Weather", failed to chart, the three formed Richard and the
Rabbits. Hawkes left soon after, and Ocasek and Orr played together for awhile. Later, they joned with Elliot Easton in Captain (or Cap'n) Swing.
The band had too many clashi ...read more

The Cars were the pinnacle of new wave bands in the late '70s and early '80s. Their guitar-oriented rock with synth-oriented pop was on the
cutting edge of mainstream music. The Cars roots lie in several previous projects of its members. Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes, and Benjamin Orr
formed Milkwood in the early '70s. When their debut record, 1972's "How's the Weather", failed to chart, the three formed Richard and the
Rabbits. Hawkes left soon after, and Ocasek and Orr played together for awhile. Later, they joned with Elliot Easton in Captain (or Cap'n) Swing.
The band had too many clashing personalities and musical styles, however, so Ocasek decided to rebuild one last time. He, Orr, Easton, Hawkes,
and newly added drummer David Robinson formed The Cars. Their debut self-titled album was released in 1978 and hit #3 on the Billboard
Pop Album Chart. Candy-O,Panorama and Shake It Up quickly followed in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively. In 1984, their
most successful album, Heartbeat City, was released. After a short hiatus, the band released Door to Door. The band formally broke
up in February of 1988. Ocasek continued on as a solo artist. Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000. Easton and Hawkes joined with Todd
Rundgren, Prairie Prince, and Kasim Sulton in The New Cars, playing old Cars hits along with Rundgren's selections and some new material. The
surviving members of the Cars reunited in 2011 to release their seventh studio album, Move Like This. They were nominated for the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. The Cars continue to influence bands today. « hide